Ana Sagar Lake Travel Walk: Chasing the Sunset and City Lights in Ajmer

Greetings of the day,

This evening I suddenly felt like going out, anyway, my mind was feeling a bit heavy after the whole day's running around. Without thinking much, I just felt like going to a quiet place, where the wind blows, water is visible and the mind gradually becomes lighter. With that thought in mind, I set out towards Ana Sagar Lake. People were seen coming and going on the way, dim lights of shops were burning, and as we started reaching near the lake, a different kind of coolness and peace was felt in the air. Evening time enhances the beauty of any place, but near Ana Sagar that effect is always a little more visible.

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By the time we reached the shore of the lake, the color of the sky was changing. The light of the setting sun seemed to be spreading over the water, creating thousands of small colours. Orange, light gold, blue and then the color of the gradually darkening sky – all these came together as if someone had very carefully painted the evening on a large canvas. Standing near the railing, when I looked towards the water, the waves were moving gently and the colors of the sky looked so beautiful on them that I got lost in it for some time. The dark shadows of the distant hills were slowly turning into night and the city lights on the other side of the lake were coming on one by one. Seeing all this, it seemed that every color, every movement, every sound of this evening was moving in a special balance.

On the other side of the lake, near Baradari, some people were sitting – some family, some friends and some people who live the evening with complete sincerity even when alone. Standing there, it felt as if you were completely away from the noise of the city despite being in the middle of it. The gentle sound of water waves, the constant blowing of the wind, and the slow conversations of people around – the combined effect of all these makes the entire atmosphere like a silent prayer. I stood here for some time and just kept looking at the scene in front. Sometimes I felt that I was looking at the scene and sometimes I felt that the scene was looking at me.

When some time passed and the sky had completely changed into evening then I feel like going a little further and seeing the Seven Wonders Park. The advantage of being near the lake is that walk a little further from here in the evening and you immediately reach a completely different environment. After the calmness of Ana Sagar, the light glow of Seven Wonders seems completely different but good. As soon as we reached there, the clear board with the name of the park written on it was shining in the light. As soon as we went inside, we could hear faint sounds-a child's laughter a phone's shutter clicking, someone's name being called and soft conversations coming from somewhere. All this together was creating a very lively atmosphere.

The first thing that caught my eye was the model of the Roman Colosseum. There is a different charm in seeing it in night light. A slight blue and yellow light was falling on it, due to which every small part of its structure was clearly visible. This model may be small but its structure and detailing look quite attractive. Some people were taking photos in front of him, some were looking closely at his features and some were trying to fit themselves into his background. I also stopped for a while and kept looking at him. It felt as if time had stopped for a while and you were just feeling that building.

When we moved a little further, we came across a small replica of the Taj Mahal. Its white glow and the light falling on it made it look like it was standing in a world of its own. The most beautiful thing about Taj Mahal, be it its size or its carvings, here its smaller form also stood with the same peace and beauty. There were a few people sitting near him, and a few families getting their evening photos taken. Looking at some people, it seemed that they were not just seeing the place as a tourist spot, but had come to spend some time there. I also stood near him for some time and felt that peace.

As we moved a little further, the other models made in the park also looked very nice in the light. Every structure had its own people, its own conversations, its own joys. Sometimes it seemed to some that they had come for the first time and sometimes to others it seemed as if this place was like an everyday evening for them. But everyone had become a part of that environment in their own way. It's great in places like this that people come for their own reasons, but live the same experience in different ways.

Wandering between the calmness of the Ana Sagar and the splendor of the Seven Wonders, it felt like the evening passed so quickly. The stillness of the lake and the hustle and bustle of the park – both have their own effect, and today getting the feeling of both in the same evening probably made this outing special. When I started coming out of the park, it was completely night. The air had now cooled down a bit, but a strange lightness was felt inside. The tiredness of the whole day, the running around, the thoughts constantly wandering in the mind – all were left behind somewhere. It seemed as if the evening itself had swept away all the dust and filled the interior with a new freshness.

While on the way back, every scene of today's evening was coming to my mind again and again. The water of the lake, the reflection of the hills, the color of the setting sun, the lights of the park, the laughter of the people, the happiness of the children, and the night of the city — everything was just roaming in the mind in no particular order. Perhaps this is the beauty of travelling, that you go somewhere and the place leaves its mark in your heart. Today's short journey was not a part of any planning, there was no preparation, it just happened suddenly and that suddenness made it memorable.

If I'm being honest, sometimes we don't need long trips. Sometimes all we need is a quiet lake, a late evening, a little time and a place where we can feel ourselves. Today's evening was also like that - absolutely ordinary, but still special for some reason. Perhaps because it was lived, not just lived through.